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NewsSeptember 5, 2014

At a Thursday evening special planning session, the Cape Girardeau City Council discussed the future of public safety, including plans to fund a new police station and renovate fire stations. The majority of the meeting focused on the number of benefits the fire and police stations have received over the years from the fire tax. ...

The current Cape Girardeau police station. (Southeast Missourian file)
The current Cape Girardeau police station. (Southeast Missourian file)

Editor's note: The year the quarter-cent tax was first approved has been corrected below.

At a Thursday evening special planning session, the Cape Girardeau City Council discussed the future of public safety, including plans to fund a new police station and renovate fire stations.

The majority of the meeting focused on the number of benefits the fire and police stations have received over the years from the fire tax. Approved by voters in 2004, the quarter-cent tax has helped public safety officials update and maintain equipment and facilities. Part of the measure is up for renewal on the November ballot.

City manager Scott Meyer said the planning session was the start of the city's journey to setting goals for public safety and creating paths to reach them.

"I think step one is the fire tax," he said, calling the measure "critical" to the future of the city's public safety.

Half of any money generated by the part of the tax up for renewal would go toward fire and police equipment. The other half would be designated for facility upgrades.

The part of the tax up for renewal could bring in $1.2 million annually.

Fire stations 1 and 2 would be remodeled with new additions. Fire station 4, the city's smallest station, would be replaced. Those projects were budgeted at $335,000 per year under the plan presented by city staff Thursday night.

The remaining $265,000 would go toward a new police station. The working estimate for the police station is about $11 million.

If more funding is needed, city staff proposed using a pay-as-you-go plan using no more than $3 million in casino revenue. The money would come from the capital improvements portion of the casino revenue, Meyer said. The city used a similar plan in acquiring the land for the Greater Cape Girardeau Business park from Southeast Missouri State University, which was paid for by yearly installments and funded by casino revenue.

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The council has expressed disinterest in the past in using casino funds for the project, primarily because it's not a steady revenue stream. At Thursday night's meeting, Councilman Mark Lanzotti said the pay-as-you-go plan was the only scenario he would consider for using casino funds for the police station.

The council took no formal action on the plan at the meeting.

Police chief Wes Blair and fire chief Rick Ennis also offered updates on public safety efforts from their respective departments, noting the focus of anticipating challenges.

Ennis pointed to nuisance abatement and property maintenance as one way to stay ahead in safety efforts. It doesn't seem to be a topic that belongs in the realm of public safety, but he said property maintenance can actually play a significant role.

He explained its relation to public safety using the "broken window theory." If something as simple as a broken window isn't taken care of, public perceptions of the surrounding area can be affected, said Ennis. One window is broken, then a few more may be smashed and soon people believe no one cares about the area and lose pride in their neighborhood, he explained.

Blair also spoke about the importance of public input. He emphasized the police department's efforts to connect with the community by hosting events such as Coffee with Cops. The August event was met with great success, he said, with about 70 people coming in to meet and speak with officers in a casual environment.

Blair said ideally, he would like to see the department host such an event once a month and in different areas of the city. The next Coffee with Cops event has not been scheduled, but will be set up in the coming weeks, he said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO

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